Public Statements

Statement

Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate failed to pass a number of important amendments to the gun violence prevention legislation it is debating.

"I'm extremely disappointed that we couldn't pass even those provisions that the vast majority of Americans support - Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike," said Sen. Franken. "The failure of amendments strengthening provisions against straw purchases and gun trafficking, and for strengthening our background check system is, in my mind, a disservice to the American public. To me, one of the most important parts of this bill was strengthening background checks - something that Minnesotans in every corner of the state told me time and time again was a commonsense thing to do. I believe that the Senate will revisit these provisions in the future, and I hope the outcome will be different."